A new bill will allow a person to be tried and convicted of a criminal offence without seeing all the information relied on by the Crown and without the right to be present, the NZ Law Society says.

International law firm and risk specialist partnership targets travel industry
International law firm Kennedys has announced a partnership with health & safety risk specialist Preverisk to offer a broad range of services to the travel and tourism sector. Combining the Spanish-based risk company with Kennedys international network of offices will provide clients in the sector with fast access to the advice they need. Kennedys says that the need for advice is set to rapidly grow and it has recently advised clients on crisis management issues including a plane crash, child abductions and a roller coaster accident.

Orrick adds another Taiwan-focused IP partner
E. Patrick Ellison has joined Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe as a partner in its Taiwan-focused IP practice. He joins from Greenberg Traurig and is the second partner to join the practice this month following the hire of Ya-Chiao Chang from Kirkland & Ellis.

Court says Indian-based firms must use Indian law in disputes
A ruling from the Bombay High Court has clarified the use of foreign jurisdictions in disputes involving companies based in India. The India Times reports that the court ruled in a case where both parties, Addhar Mercantile and Shree Jagdamba Agrico Exports, are based in India and entered into an agreement including a clause opting to have the arbitration seat in India or Singapore in the event of a dispute. Addhar Mercantile later went to court to challenge a contractual clause that any dispute would be settled under English Law. The court agreed with the company that two Indian-based companies cannot derogate Indian law. The matter is likely to end up in the Supreme Court as there are other similar cases pending in regional high courts that may end differently.

Unusual case of Queen vs. Crown
Her Majesty’s government in Britain is facing a legal challenge from Queen guitarist and singer Brian May over what he says is the continued illegal culling of badgers. The government’s environment department began the controversial practice in 2013 due to the spread of TB in cattle, linked to badgers which carry the disease. May’s charity, The Save Me Trust, says that it will bring in lawyers in a bid to stop the practice.